WASHINGTON -
The Georgetown University baseball team is back home this weekend at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, Md., hosting long-time BIG EAST Conference rival St. John's in a key league series.

The first game of the three-game series starts on Friday, April 12, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. The teams will also play on Saturday, April 13 (3 p.m.) before closing out the series on Sunday, April 14 (1 p.m.). Live statistics for the games, as well as an audio broadcast, with Tim Shovers calling all of the play-by-play, will be available on the Georgetown athletics website, www.guhoyas.com.

Georgetown enters the weekend with a 19-11 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the BIG EAST Conference, while SJU is 14-19 overall and 3-6 in league play. The Blue & Gray are 5-5 in their last 10 games, but have won 13 of their last 18 overall entering the weekend, including an 8-4 record at home.

The Hoyas and Red Storm have met 58 times in a series that dates back to 1984. SJU leads the all-time series, 47-11, and has won six-straight games, including a three-game sweep during the 2011 season.

GU is coming off a 9-1 win over George Washington at home. Five pitchers combined to hold the Colonials to two hits, while freshman Nick Collins (Carthage, N.C./Union Pines) hit a two-run home run to highlight a four-run second inning and the Hoyas added five more runs in the eighth inning.

Georgetown has led by a balanced attack on the offensive side. Senior center fielder Justin Leeson (Exton, Pa./West Chester) has been strong through the season's first 30 games, batting .315 (39-for-124) with seven doubles, one triple and 18 RBI. He leads the team with 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Senior third baseman Trevor Matern (Santa Clarita, Calif./Hart) leads the team in batting with a .356 average. Junior right fielder Christian Venditti (Newtonville, Mass./St. Sebastian's) has a team-best four home runs and leads the team with 25 RBI, while freshman shortstop Curtiss Pomeroy (Shrewsbury, Mass./Saint John's) is batting .289 and senior second baseman Danny Poplawski is batting .283.

The weekend rotation will start with redshirt sophomore Jack VanderLinden (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal), who is 2-1 with a 3.28 earned run average this season.

Senior lefty Thomas Polus (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean), who is 2-3 with a 4.72 ERA, is expected to start the game on Saturday, and sophomore southpaw Matt Hollenbeck (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), who is 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA, will start the finale on Sunday.

Georgetown has had a lot of help from its bullpen, led by senior Charlie Steinman (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade), who has thrived in the closers role, making six saves in eight appearances, while carrying a 1.86 earned run average through 19.1 innings this season. Senior Neal Dennison (Houston, Texas/Lamar) has a 2-0 record and a 0.67 ERA in 15 appearances, while freshman Matt Smith (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) is 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA and freshman Tim Davis (Vienna, Va./James Madison) is 1-0 with a 0.81 ERA in 12 appearances.